Rejoicing in the Words of the Brethren

I have rejoiced, my brethren and sisters, in listening to the words that have been spoken by the brethren who have occupied this position this afternoon. I pray that the words that may fall from my lips may be directed by the Spirit of the Lord, that I may have the same Spirit of instruction that has impressed the brethren in the words that have already been uttered in our hearing. ¶

A great variety of thoughts have passed through my mind in listening to the testimonies that have been borne in this meeting, and also in listening to the musical exercises. We commenced our services by singing the hymn, "An Angel from on High, the long, long silence broke." I suppose the great majority of those who are gathered together in this holy house this afternoon believe that the words I have quoted, — relative to the coming of an angel, — have had a fulfillment; that at last, after a long silence between the heavens and the earth, in the age in which we are living the silence has been broken, and an angel, clothed with power and authority from our Father in heaven, has wended his way to earth, bringing the fulness of the everlasting Gospel, and giving a commandment that it should be preached to all who are dwelling upon the earth. That is the belief of the Latter-day Saints. Their declaration among all peoples in all the earth is, that they are operating, by virtue of this commandment of our Father in heaven. The ministry in which we are engaged is by Divine appointment, an authority such as was exercised by the holy apostles anciently, and which had been lost from among men, in fulfillment of predictions of the inspired servants of God, who, when under the inspiration of the Lord, were enabled to look into the future history of the world and discover that there would come a period when men would be without authority. ¶

There are a very great many people who do not believe in the restoration of the authority of which I am speaking. I could not, however, help but feel, while listening to the words that have been spoken in our hearing, that many of the very precious promises that have been made by our Father in heaven are having an actual and remarkable fulfillment. ¶

I will read a few words from the revelations that have been given by the Lord in relation to His work as it was to be established among men in this great dispensation. I read from a revelation given at a very early period, in the year 1829, which was before there was any such an organization among men as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Lord says : ¶

"Now, behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men; therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day." ¶

I consider, my brethren and sisters, that this is a very marvelous declaration. It is a declaration that was made over and over again by the Lord, through the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the revelations that were given to him at the opening of this dispensation. When one stops to analyze, for a few moments, the lowly condition of Joseph Smith, the founder, by Divine appointment, of this great work of the Latter-days, and attempts to weigh and consider the unpreparedness of his condition, from a purely human point of view, one could scarcely believe — I suppose no one did believe, at the inception of the work, unless it were revealed to him by the Spirit and power of God — that there would ever be any fulfilment of the words I have read in this opening paragraph, that a marvelous work and a wonder was about to come forth among the children of men. ¶

My brethren and sisters, when we take time to look into the history of this people the Latter-day Saints we find abundant evidence it seems to me, to justify us in the belief we entertain, that Joseph Smith was an inspired man. I wonder, sometimes, how it is possible for those who are not of us, to fail in discovering the Divinity of the work he was instrumental in establishing among men. ¶

You all know there is a passage of scripture in the Old Testament wherein the Lord says : ¶

"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him." ¶

But, on the other hand, what are we to understand when one speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing that is spoken comes to pass, particularly when the things that are spoken are beyond the power of man to foresee, naturally, and appear to be impossible of fulfilment? My understanding is we are then to know the man is sent of God, and we should be afraid to turn a deaf ear to his warning. ¶

I am of the opinion that the clause I have read from the revelation concerning the marvelous character of the work that was to be introduced by the Prophet Joseph, at the time it was given, was entirely beyond the power of man, of Joseph himself, to foresee; it appeared to be impossible of accomplishment. We have listened this afternoon to some of the evidences bearing upon the fulfillment of predictions that have been made. Are we impressed with what we have heard, and do we give praise to God, or do we become so accustomed to such testimonies that we allow them to pass without serious consideration, as a mere matter of history, and think nothing more about them? One brother, Elder Andrew Kimball, president of the St. Joseph stake, told us a story this afternoon of ten thousand Latter-day Saints in Arizona, and incidentally mentioned the fact that there are other thousands over the line in the Republic of Mexico, who also are identified with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then another brother, President Melvin J. Ballard of the Northwestern States Mission, stood up and told of the Latter-day Saints who are in Oregon, and who are in Washington, and who are in other districts of the country in these great United States of America, where he is called to labor, all of whom have given allegiance to the work that was planted, about eighty years ago, by the boy Joseph Smith. If the whole story were told in its completeness, we would discover that in every part of the civilized world there are hosts of men and women who have been convinced of the truth of what the world has nicknamed Mormonism, and have been made to feel, in their whole beings, that it is not the delusion it is thought by some to be, but that it is the power of God unto salvation. These converts to Mormonism have given every possible evidence that they have been born of the Holy Spirit, by doing all that mortal men could do in attestation of their faith, and their confidence in the great work that has been established. ¶

The Lord God of heaven made the announcement as a preface to this Book of Commandments, to all the inhabitants of the earth, that His work would prevail. This thing has not been done in a corner. It has not been hidden up by the works of men, but it has been like a city set upon a hill that all the world might see it. That has been the manner and the character of the establishment of the work of the Lord in the latter times. Hear what the Lord has said : ¶

"And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days. And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I, the Lord have commanded them." ¶

That is not written like it came from the Scribes or Pharisees. The spirit of these words as one reads them, has the ring and sound of one speaking by authority. This proclamation was to all the inhabitants of the earth. The language is: ¶

"Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the Book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants, of the earth. Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled." ¶

I believe it. My brethren and sisters, I feel the truth of this announcement, in my whole being. This is not like what an imposter would write. Think of Joseph Smith who then stood alone, and without any following. Joseph Smith, the youth, in his loneliness and ostracism, and in his lack of training and power of leadership, from a human point of view, telling the inhabitants of the earth to "fear and tremble." My brethren and sisters, it was not Joseph Smith it was the Lord of heaven, crying to the people to hearken to His voice, and to His proclamation. The promise of the Lord is : ¶

"And again, verily, I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth, I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh. * * Search these commandments for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled." ¶

That was the declaration of Mormonism in the very commencement. Every soul who has honestly and prayerfully tested the promise couched in the words I have just read has been made to know that the promise is of God, and not of man. Efforts have been made in every land and clime, and among every people where the missionaries have carried these glad tidings, to stop the advancement of Mormonism, and yet we have heard from this missionary, as we will probably hear from other missionaries during this conference—for the story is the same from every land — that Mormonism is working its way among honest, thoughtful men, and they are yielding obedience to its principles, and are willing to sacrifice everything they have upon the earth, if need be, for its success. That is the story of Mormonism. It has been so from the very beginning. The word of the Lord God has been fulfilled, and this work has not halted, and it never will halt, worlds without end, for God, the Ruler and Creator, has made the promise, and He is able to fulfill it. We need have no anxiety about the onslaughts that are made against us by the ungodly. The concern of every member of the Church should be as to whether or not his full duty is being performed. Let me again read one of the paragraphs from the Book of Commandments : ¶

"Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day." ¶

My brethren and sisters, if we are serving the Lord in this manner all is well. I commend this paragraph to the earnest consideration of all who are assembled here today. When we consider how the promises of God are being fulfilled, we ought to be able and willing to put our trust in Him, and follow where He leads, for when the finish comes it will be found that victory has perched upon the banners of Israel, and upon all who have been willing to keep the commandments of God. ¶

May the Lord help us to be with that victorious number, is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶